B2B marketers share common challenges, so it’s no wonder that we encounter many of the same questions about working with a content marketing agency. We thought we’d share our answers to the most common questions we hear from our clients in case you’ve been wondering about the same things.
How do I create content that will stand out from the clutter?
To break through the noise permeating the web, your content needs to strike an immediate chord. It must resonate with your target audience on a deeper level than any other resource they see. Audience-centric messaging that aligns to your target buyer — their goals, needs and pain points — is the foundation to a powerful piece of content.
But as more of your competitors create content and their budgets continue to expand, you need to do more to stand out. Interactive formats can help, supporting the creation of more immersive — even entertaining — content experiences. Depending on your audience’s needs, and your objectives, you can create quizzes, assessments, content hubs, and mobile-first experiences that not only inform but delight audiences.
We’d be happy to show you some of our clients’ latest and greatest interactive experiences. Drop us a line!
How can I get the most value out of my already strained content budget?
At Content4Demand, we’re big supporters of “use what you have.” A content inventory, content audit and gap analysis are musts when it comes to efficient use of your content budget. Knowing what you have at the ready and where it can best be used gives you a wealth of information to refresh, reuse and repurpose the content you already have.
When Content4Demand conducts your audit, we assess each asset for its relevance to the target audience, alignment to personas and buyer’s journey stages and much more. We analyze it further based on your campaign framework to identify gaps and determine how you can refresh content to meet new needs.
How can I use content to accelerate the buying journey?
Content rabbit holes give buyers multiple ways to further engage with your content and your brand. This is especially valuable in interactive content, where you can track how many people click to access supporting assets.
Adding routes to content representing different stages of the buyer’s journey gives your audience the power to get as much — or as little — information as they want. It also gives you great insight into who may be ready for bottom-funnel content or more sales-ready messaging.
How can I create content that not only engages buyers, but empowers sales, too?
Sales enablement content serves as an extension of your content marketing campaigns. Using the same messaging as your audience-centric content, create pieces that inform reps of the key statistics, takeaways and even questions your buyers will ask in follow-up conversations.
Campaign toolkits are especially valuable, as they provide a 1,000-foot view of marketing’s campaign, each asset and how sales can use these resources, too.
What content trends are most critical to build into our strategy now?
While buyers are consulting and downloading more content than ever before, they have less time to sift through several hefty assets. As a result, we’re seeing buyers rely on a combination of big rock pieces and shorter, easier-to-digest resources such as videos, podcasts, interactive experiences and more. Consult the just-published 2019 Content Preferences Survey Report to learn more.
How can I be sure my projects will be completed on time and on budget?
Content4Demand acts as an extension of your marketing team, so your success is our success. We kick off projects by discussing goals, priorities, desired outcomes and measures for success, and establish a process for ensuring that all intended projects are completed on time and on budget. Our process is also extremely flexible, allowing us to pivot focus as your needs and priorities change.
How can I get my internal subject matter experts and stakeholders bought into the content we’re creating?
Get them involved in the process! Content4Demand embeds SME interviews into our content creation framework, so all critical parties have a say in the direction of the piece or campaign. This increases the likelihood that everyone will support the content as it goes to market.
Why can’t we just hire a PR firm or standard marketing agency to help us create content?
While PR firms and marketing agencies can provide basic content marketing services, they sometimes struggle to rise to the level of detail and grasp the intricacies of specialized industries.
Buyers can sense when a company doesn’t have the subject matter expertise they need, so you need highly relevant and specific content — designed and created by experts who know you, your buyers and your industry inside and out — to prove you understand their needs and pain points.
If you have a question that isn’t included here, don’t let that stop you. Enter yours in the comment section below or send an email to holly@content4demand.com for a personal answer. Get a glimpse at some of our work by visiting our Resources page.
